All the Power In the World
by vertigoSWAY
Summary: Two-shot. Explores Merlin and Arthur's interactions in two pivotal scenes, one from The Moment of Truth and the other from Le Morte d'Arthur. Written all in Arthur's POV. Please review! Complete.
1. and that's when I knew

**So I felt like doing a two-shot. This is not related to any of the other Merlin fanfics that I've written. It explores interactions between Merlin and Arthur in two episodes, _The Moment of Truth_ and _Le Morte d'Arthur._ And it's like 3:15 AM so I'll write the second part tomorrow. Night!**

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The flames rose in front of us as William's funeral pyre burned before us. I cast a quick, subtle glance at Merlin. It was that look in his eyes. It was always that look. Right before something happened that Merlin _happened_ to get tangled up with, that look would fill his eyes. I didn't know what it was. It was just blank. Void. Nothing at all.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. It sounded pathetic. I didn't sound sorry at all. I was just trying to comfort him. Merlin just kept staring. The fire danced off his eyes, "I know he was a close friend."

"He still is." Merlin's monotonous answer haunted me. He'd aged these past few days, and it wasn't because of that battle.

"You knew Will was a sorcerer, didn't you?" I glanced over to see the hesitation in Merlin's eyes which quickly switched back to the blank stare.

"Yes."

And that's when I realized the stare wasn't blank. It was because he wore it too much and I was too arrogant to even notice. He wore it just about every single day. It was a mix of emotions. Sadness. Fear. Betrayal. Longing. Guilt gnawing at his chest because of what he had to hide or else he would be killed.

And I just passed on from day to day, not really seeing it.

That's when I knew. Will was a good friend to Merlin. Loyal enough to even take the blame for Merlin's…

Sorcery.

Merlin's secret. I knew it hurt for Merlin to keep secret and it possibly would hurt him more if he knew I'd found out. For now, it was our secret, but a secret that none of us knew.

It pained me to say what I did say next. "You know magic is dangerous, Merlin. You shouldn't have kept this from me." After a short thought, I added, "Or anything," in a quieter tone, hoping to lessen the gaze in Merlin's eyes.

He was my friend.

And I was helpless to even comfort him.


	2. an eye for an eye, a life of a life

**Listen to Home by Daughtry when reading this fanfic. If kind of inspired me. Well, hope you like it!**

**Edit: On second thought also listen to Us Against the World by Boys Like Girls.  
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I was helping myself to some herbal tea that Gaius had brewed for me, saying it'd help with the pain, when Merlin stepped through the door. My arm was in a sling, making it even harder to pour out the tea. I sat down with the small goblet and took a sip.

"See that you're feeling better," observed the servant stoically.

"Yes. And I owe it all to Gaius."

I swore a saw a small smile flicker across Merlin's face. "We need to talk," he said to me.

I sighed, trying to lighten the mood. "You don't get it do you? I decide when we need to talk." My cup moved along with my hand when I gestured.

"Not today."

I lowered my goblet down and stared a Merlin. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you know who I am."

"Oh I know who you are," Merlin said a bit more heartily.

"Good." I raised my hand to take a drink of the tea. It was actually pretty refreshing.

"You're a prat." I looked up at Merlin who smiling a bit. "And a royal one."

I put on the most annoyed face I could manage, but inside I was smiling. "Will you ever change Merlin?" I pondered out loud.

"No," he shrugged. "You'd get bored." There was a moment of silence, with only the soft cackling of the candlelight whispering to us. "But promise me this, if you get another servant, don't get a bootlicker."

"If this is you trying to quit your job-"

"No," Merlin interrupted, "I'm happy to be your servant 'til the day I die."

The tone of his voice changed again. I looked up, expecting only one thing. Those eyes. Why was it always that look on his face? "Sometimes I think I know you, Merlin," I said, not breaking the gaze. "Other times." I watched my good hand set the goblet down.

"Well I know you. You're a great warrior. One day you'll be a great king."

"That's… very kind of you," I answered uncertainly.

"But you must learn to listen as well as you fight."

"Got any other pointers?"

Merlin stared at his hands. "No," he said almost inaudibly. "Just… don't be a prat." I stared at him and those world-heavy eyes, feeling sympathy. He bowed a little and exited the room.

I stared at the swirling tea leaves in the cup I had just sat down. Something was going to happen and if I knew better, than I'd say Merlin was going to get himself into trouble. Or maybe even worse. I wondered how I'd even survived the hunt. Gaius had warned us the bit was fatal, that the beast could only be destroyed by magic. My father had dismissed the claim and so had I. Besides, I'd survived the attack after all.

But what if I didn't? I was alive now, but what if I couldn't be healed? What if it was magic? The beast was killed, but not by me… and there was only one other person with me at the time. _Merlin._ He must've used magic of some sort to destroy it. So why the cryptic, "til the day I die?" What did he do to save me? What was the cost?

I was on the verge of death, and if no mortal cure could save me, what could? Magic? How powerful? What would be given in exchange? Just then something clicked in the back of my head form the many times that the court genealogist had caught him making mischief in the libraries when he was a little boy. It was some kind of code. Ancient. Before Camelot, almost at the beginning of time. Something that started with the letter "H."

Hammurabi's Code.

An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.

"A life for a life," I realized out loud.

I couldn't believe it. Merlin, probably the clumsiest, most incapable person in Camelot was going to give his life for me. I couldn't let him, but then again, he was probably already gone.

I couldn't let him just ride off to his death. He was my friend. My _only _friend. Not one of those noblemen's sons who'd follow me everywhere just because I was royal. Merlin was a real friend. He'd stood up to me, even when he knew he'd get put in the stocks. He protected me, secretly with magic of course, and he protected me truthfully. Out of his heart. Not like the others who would probably just fight and then run away like cowards.

I had always had power. I was Crown Prince of Camelot, the single heir to the throne of Camelot. You could say I had all the power in the world.

But even then, I couldn't even save my best friend.

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**It's only a fanfic, so if there are plot holes, please don't flame. Thanks.**

**So we all know what happens next. Merlin's safe. Nimeuh is dead. And we're all a happy family! xD Thanks for reading!  
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